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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!gatech!purdue!mozo.cc.purdue.edu!staff.cc.purdue.edu!ab From: Allen Braunsdorf <postscript-faq@cc.purdue.edu> Newsgroups: comp.sources.postscript,comp.answers,news.answers Subject: v04INF1: PostScript Sources monthly FAQ v1.13 04-30-95 [1 of 3] Followup-To: poster Date: 30 Apr 1995 19:42:47 GMT Organization: Purdue University Computing Center Lines: 628 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Distribution: world Expires: Wed, 17 May 1995 00:00:00 GMT Message-ID: <3o0p7n$4js@mozo.cc.purdue.edu> Reply-To: postscript-faq@cc.purdue.edu (Allen Braunsdorf) NNTP-Posting-Host: staff.cc.purdue.edu Summary: Useful facts about the PostScript Sources newsgroup Archive-name: postscript/sources Last-modified: 1995/04/30 Version: 1.13 Originator: ab@staff.cc.purdue.edu Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.sources.postscript:311 comp.answers:11528 news.answers:43032 -- PostScript Sources -- Introduction to comp.sources.postscript (the comp.sources.postscript FAQ v1.13) Allen Braunsdorf postscript-faq@cc.purdue.edu This FAQ is formatted as a digest. Most news readers can skip from one question to the next by pressing control-G. GNUs uses C-c C-n to skip to the next question. To contribute sources, read the section ``Submitting Sources''. Newsgroup-related mail that is not a submission should be sent to me at postscript-request@cc.purdue.edu Related FAQs: comp.lang.postscript, comp.sources.misc, comp.text, comp.text.tex, comp.fonts, comp.graphics. The comp.sources.postscript archives are available by ftp to ftp.sterling.com in /usenet/comp.sources.postscript/ or ftp.ips.cs.tu-bs.de in /usenet/comp.sources.postscript. There is an index in the last section of this FAQ. This FAQ and the indexes are available by anonymous ftp to wilma.cs.brown.edu:pub/comp.sources.postscript. You can get the comp.lang.postscript FAQ by anonymous ftp to wilma.cs.brown.edu:pub/comp.lang.postscript. Both come in ASCII, LaTeX, DVI, and PostScript formats. Table of Contents 1 About comp.sources.postscript 2 What to Expect 3 Getting Sources 3.1 How to Get a Program from Usenet 3.2 Using the Comp.sources.postscript Index and Archive 3.3 Using the PostScript interpreters and utilities index 3.4 How to Display PostScript 3.5 How to Report Bugs 4 Submitting Sources 4.1 Content of Comp.Sources.Postscript 4.2 Where to Post your Source 4.3 Guidelines 4.4 Copyright 4.5 Index and Submission Information 4.6 How to Submit a Program 4.7 Header Lines for Your Posting 4.8 After Posting 5 PostScript Interpreters and Utilities 5.1 How can I find a program? 5.2 How can I browse through PostScript programs? 5.3 Keywords 5.4 Interpreters 5.5 Utilities 6 comp.sources.postscript Index to Volume 1 7 comp.sources.postscript Index to Volume 2 8 comp.sources.postscript Index to Volume 3 9 comp.sources.postscript Index to Volume 4 10 Acknowledgements 1 About comp.sources.postscript This moderated newsgroup is for the distribution of source code for utilities and pictures in PostScript, and for PostScript-related programs. You can post programs here, but they won't show up right away. All postings to the newsgroup get sent to me, the moderator, for approval. Then the sources get tested, packaged, and posted. All other posts (such as requests and discussion) will be returned to the sender. comp.lang.postscript is the Usenet newsgroup for discussions. comp.sources.d is the Usenet newsgroup for sources requests. 2 What to Expect On comp.sources.postscript you will find utilities (in PostScript and other languages), clip art, fonts, and examples of PostScript programming. All pictures in PostScript are also programs, so when I say program or source throughout this document, think ``picture or utility''. 3 Getting Sources There are three ways to get a program from this group: * directly from Usenet postings, * through the comp.sources.postscript index and archive, * and through the PostScript interpreters and utilities index. 3.1 How to Get a Program from Usenet Each posting in comp.sources.postscript is called an ``issue''. There are generally 100 to 125 issues in a volume. The division is arbitrary. There are three types of articles in comp.sources.postscript: source postings, informational postings, and the monthly summarized request list. They can be distinguished by the subject line. Subject: v02INF1: PostScript Sources monthly FAQ v1.00 03-03-93 This first word in the title identifies this as the first informational posting of volume one. Similarly, the subject line shown below: Subject: v02i072: schlep - PostScript interpreter in PostScript, Part01/02 identifies this as the 72nd source article in Volume 1. In the above example, the Part01/02 indicates that this is the first part of a two part posting. The first few lines of an article after the USENET required headers are the auxiliary headers that look like this: Submitted-by: j_random_hacker@athena.mit.edu (J. Arthur Random) Posting-number: Volume 1, Issue 72 Archive-name: schlep/part01 The ``Submitted-by'' line in each issue is the author of the program. If you have comments about an issue published in comp.sources.postscript, this is the person to contact. The ``Archive-name'' is the official name of this source in the archive. All source postings are treated as multi-part postings, which are archived in a subdirectory within the volume directory. Postings have names that look like this: Source posting Archive-name: schlep/part01 Patch posting Archive-name: schlep/patch01 Informational (INF) postings, such as the posting you are currently reading, are not stored in a subdirectory as are source postings. INF postings have archive names such as indx33v02-07 and patchlog33. From an archiving perspective, archive names for all INFormational postings are specified so as to store the INF postings directly in the volume's base directory. Archive names for source postings are specified so as to store the sources in subdirectories within the volume's base directory. When we start having patches, I'll add information here about patches. They'll look like the ones in comp.sources.misc. The Environment: auxiliary header line lists the language and operating system requirements for the program. Check this line before taking the time to unpack a posting, to make sure you will be able to run the program. Environment: syntax Environment: Keyword [, keyword ..] Environment: example Environment: PostScript, GhostScript, PBMPLUS, C++ The keyword's usage is case insensitive. There is also a not indicator (e.g. !AIX) so that the moderator can specify that the package runs on everything but the specified keyword. The following is a list of keywords used within articles that have been posted to comp.sources.postscript and their meanings. Keywords are added to this list on a first-use basis. ANSI C - Runs in the C programming language. ANSI standard C. PostScript - Requires a postscript printer/viewer. UNIX - as far as I know, operates on any unix system 3.2 Using the Comp.sources.postscript Index and Archive The first comp.sources.postscript index will be posted next month. By then, there should be an archive on ftp.uu.net, probably in /usenet/comp.sources.postscript. If you decide to archive the group, please let me know so that I can inform people that your archive exists. 3.3 Using the PostScript interpreters and utilities index This index lists all know PostScript programs, regardless of whether they have been posted to comp.sources.postscript. Unlike the one-line descriptions of the comp.sources.postscript index, this index contains full descriptions and references. Look in the index itself for where to get the programs. You can find this index in the last section of this FAQ. 3.4 How to Display PostScript If the program is a PostScript picture, just send it to a PostScript printer, or view it on screen with a PostScript interpreter. If you have no PostScript printer or interpreter, I recommend using GhostScript, which is free and reliable. GhostScript runs on MS-DOS, UNIX, Macintosh, VMS, X windows, and the Atari-ST. On the Amiga, use Post. Check the PostScript interpreters and utilities index for more information about these previewers. 3.5 How to Report Bugs To report bugs, contact the person listed in the Submitted-by: header. If the bug is important, post also to comp.sources.bugs so that other people will learn about it. If the bug makes the program unusable, write me so that I can get the author to correct it and have a new version posted. 4 Submitting Sources If you'd like to submit a PostScript source, thank you! Please read this section of happy hints first. The benefits of submitting your program include: free archiving and distribution, testing (by me, but much moreso by readers), and the name recognition you deserve for bringing free software to the world. Even if you post your program somewhere else, or if it is commercial or shareware, you should still write me with a description of the program for the PostScript interpreters and utilities index, which lists everything in the PostScript world. 4.1 Content of Comp.Sources.Postscript This newsgroup is for posting programs written in PostScript as well as PostScript-related programs written in other languages. These programs could be utilities, fonts, or graphic images of use to a wide audience. Clip Art: Hand-made PostScript programs, converted binaries, or the machine generated output from drawing tools, representing a graphic image. Utilities: Programs written in PostScript, or those written in other languages that either generate or operate on PostScript programs. Examples: "How-to" examples are encouraged. Fonts: Fonts that can be used with the PostScript language. This would include both Type 1 and Type 3 fonts. Since TrueType fonts can't interact with PostScript, that would preclude them. Specific information, such as a new weathermap in PostScript posted daily, is more like a binary than a source, and is not appropriate. Also, text documents formatted in PostScript are not appropriate. 4.2 Where to Post your Source If you are unsure where to post your program, the closest newsgroups to comp.lang.postscript are: comp.sources.misc will accept source under any programming language, and has a wide distribution and a large audience. alt.sources is an unmoderated source group, which would allow you to instantly post your source. Unfortunately, it is not as widely read because alt.* groups are not available at many sites. comp.sources.unix accepts UNIX programs of all kinds. comp.lang.postscript is a fine newsgroup to post an example program that aids discussion or answers a question, if it is small (a page or two). However, please consider posting to comp.sources.postscript, as a way to have your example archived and available to help people in the future. If you have a previously posted program, it is probably best to continue posting it to the original newsgroup, which is where your current users will expect to find it. I can put a reference to your program in the PostScript interpreters and utilities index. Of course, if you do decide to switch newsgroups, your program will be welcome here. Shareware will not be accepted. Try posting to alt.sources or comp.sources.misc, and give me a reference to place in the PostScript interpreters and utilities index. Alternatively, consider making your program free. Please don't send me executables. There are comp.binaries.* newsgroups for that. Only send binaries if they are important to the program and cannot be sent in source format. If your program goes along with a song or startup picture, its OK to include the uuencoded song or picture binary. 4.3 Guidelines If your program is a picture, please consider Encapsulated PostScript and Document Structuring Convention conformance. Little wood elves will visit you in your sleep and thank you for it. You can learn about these things from the comp.lang.postscript FAQ. There are tools which make conformance easy, too. You are welcome to consider a preview bitmap, which would make an EPS file into an EPSI file. Well-commented code is encouraged. It will allow others to learn from your examples, and to make improvements to the code that you can use. Thousands of people who do not know you will have their only contact with you through your program. It's worth making a good impression. It would be nice if you included a Makefile, man page (or other documentation), a README file which describes the project and what each file does. If your program is an example of PostScript programming, it should actually do something. An example of centering a string should be a program that actually centers a string. Similarly, if you submit a library, please include example files which use the library. You must be (or have permission from) the author of the program you submit. 4.4 Copyright Your program should have an explicit copyright. If you don't believe in copyrights, then protect that belief with a copyright directed towards free software. Otherwise, someone else may steal your program and claim authorship. Something like the following might be appropriate: Copyright (C) 1993, J. Arthur Random Permission to use and modify this software and its documentation for any purpose other than its incorporation into a commercial product is hereby granted without fee. Permission to copy and distribute this software and its documentation only for non-commercial use is also granted without fee, provided, however, that the above copyright notice appear in all copies, that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. The author makes no representations about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided ``as is'' without express or implied warranty. 4.5 Index and Submission Information When you submit a program, or make a reference to one, please tell me: * What is the name of the program? * What does it claim to do, and does it do it well? Is it worth using? If not, why not? * Where is it available? What ftp sites can I get it from? * How much does it cost? Is it free? * What kinds of computers does it run on? * Who is the author and does the author give an email address? * Does it handle PostScript 2? * What other software does it rely on? * If it is clip-art, what is it clip art of? * If it is an example, what is it an example of? If the program is a PostScript interpreter, then the I also need to know: * Does it let you go backwards one page? * Does it display the number of pages in the document? * Does it let you print PostScript to a non-PostScript printer? * What formats can it convert to? 4.6 How to Submit a Program First, format your program for posting. Please keep filenames to 12 or fewer characters in length. I don't care what format you submit your program in, although if you happen to pack your program using shar in chunks of less than 55K, I'd be very happy. cshar would be even better. Otherwise, I will reformat it myself. If you post in plain ASCII, please make sure that you give me the right filenames. Post your program to comp.sources.postscript, and it will automatically be sent to me. Alternatively, you can just email it to postscript@ccc.purdue.edu I will notify you by email when I receive your program. I do most of my PostScript work on weekends, so it may take a few days. Have patience -- your article will not show up in the newsreader until I approve it and package it. I'll try to do this as quickly as possible. 4.7 Header Lines for Your Posting The Subject: line should describe the entire program in 60 characters, to be used for the archive index. The Reply-To: line should list the email address for whomever comments and questions should be sent to. The Organization: line is optional. It lists what organization you belong to. Obviously, you must have the organization's approval if you post software which belongs to them, even if you helped write it. The Summary: line describes in one or two sentences what the program is. Also please include blurb which describes what the posting is/does/contains. This should only be a paragraph or two. Put a blank line and then have the following lines: The Archive-name: line should have the package name that you want the submission archived by. The package name should be in the format packagename/partname. The package name and partname must not be more than 12 characters long. The package name will be used as a directory name. The partname should look like a series of files part01, part02, part03, if there are many parts to your program. If there is only one part, still make it ``part01''. The Environment: line lists what operating systems, languages, and packages are needed. If your program is entirely PostScript, then the environment is ``PostScript''. The Keywords: line provides a nice way to search for your program. I'll make up some standard Keywords when I get an idea what the types of sources postings are. For now, just pick what you think is best. For example, your post might look like this: Newsgroups: comp.sources.postscript Subject: schlep - PostScript interpreter in PostScript, Part01/02 Reply-To: j_random_hacker@athena.mit.edu (J. Arthur Random) Organization: Student Information Processing Board Summary: schlep is a fully functional PostScript interpreter with color and PostScript 2 capability, written entirely in PostScript. Runs as fast as most compiled interpreters! Archive-name: schlep/part01 Environment: PostScript Keywords: postscript interpreter, color, level-2 Schlep is a very useful PostScript interpreter. It is every bit as good as the commercial interpreters, plus it is written in everyone's favorite language. #! /bin/sh # This is a shell archive. Remove anything before this line, then unpack # it by saving it into a file and typing "sh file". To overwrite existing # files, type "sh file -c". You can also feed this as standard input via # unshar, or by typing "sh <file", e.g.. If this archive is complete, you # will see the following message at the end: # "End of shell archive." # Contents: schlep.ps # Wrapped by j_arthur_random@binkley.mit.edu on Wed Mar 3 12:26:38 1993 PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/ucb ; export PATH if test -f 'schlep.ps' -a "${1}" != "-c" ; then echo shar: Will not clobber existing file \"'schlep.ps'\" else echo shar: Extracting \"'schlep.ps'\" (84 characters) sed "s/^X//" >'schlep.ps' <<'END_OF_FILE' X(Schlep Version 1.00 by J. Arthur Hacker\n) print X(Processing your program\n) print END_OF_FILE if test 84 -ne `wc -c <'schlep.ps'`; then echo shar: \"'schlep.ps'\" unpacked with wrong size! fi # end of 'schlep.ps' fi echo shar: End of shell archive. exit 0 Again, note the blank line between Summary and Archive-name. The second posting might look like (shown for completeness): Newsgroups: comp.sources.postscript Subject: schlep - PostScript interpreter in PostScript, Part02/02 Reply-To: j_random_hacker@athena.mit.edu (J. Arthur Random) Organization: Student Information Processing Board Summary: schlep is a fully functional PostScript interpreter with color and PostScript 2 capability, written entirely in PostScript. Runs as fast as most compiled interpreters! Archive-name: schlep/part02 Environment: PostScript Keywords: postscript interpreter, color, level-2 #! /bin/sh # This is a shell archive. Remove anything before this line, then unpack # it by saving it into a file and typing "sh file". To overwrite existing # files, type "sh file -c". You can also feed this as standard input via # unshar, or by typing "sh <file", e.g.. If this archive is complete, you # will see the following message at the end: # "End of shell archive." # Contents: schlep.doc # Wrapped by j_arthur_random@binkley.mit.edu on Wed Mar 3 12:26:38 1993 PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/ucb ; export PATH if test -f 'schlep.doc' -a "${1}" != "-c" ; then echo shar: Will not clobber existing file \"'schlep.doc'\" else echo shar: Extracting \"'schlep.doc'\" (238 characters) sed "s/^X//" >'schlep.doc' <<'END_OF_FILE' XBasically, just prepend schlep.ps to the PostScript program that you Xwant to interpret, and run the schlep program in an interpreter. XNote how quickly schlep interprets your program, even though it is Xwritten in an interpreted language! X END_OF_FILE if test 238 -ne `wc -c <'schlep.doc'`; then echo shar: \"'schlep.doc'\" unpacked with wrong size! fi # end of 'schlep.doc' fi echo shar: End of shell archive. exit 0 4.8 After Posting You should subscribe to comp.sources.bugs and comp.sources.d to learn about problems with and comments on your program, and even improvements made to it. 10 Acknowledgements I am indebted to Kent Landfield, the comp.sources.misc moderator, for his help in forming the newsgroup and making this FAQ (parts of which are copied from his with permission), and to Jonathan Monsarrat for doing the rest. This FAQ is copyright (C) 1995 by Allen Braunsdorf. Permission is granted to freely edit and distribute as long as this copyright notice is included. This document was written with the LaTeX language and formatted by LameTeX, the PostScript hacker's LaTeX. --- Allen Braunsdorf comp.sources.postscript Moderator postscript-request@cc.purdue.edu PostScript FAQ maintainer